Lettering instrument



July 20 1926.

F. W. POLLOCK LETTERING INSTRUMENT Filed April 27, 1925 'Illllll 'IIII'III A TT ORNE Y.

Patented I July 20, 1926.

UNITED srarss FOSTER W. POLLOCK, 015 LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA. V

LETTERING INSTRUMENT.

Application filed April 27, 1925, Serial No. 26,072.

' tively indicating the'boundaries of any letter or figure, and forming a guide for outlining the Various upright, transverse and diagonal strokes which constitute the different letters and figures.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a guiding means whereby the maximum number of the various strokes of the diiferent letters and figuresmay be outlined without shifting of the instrument on the drafting surface, and all of the remaining strokes of the different letters and figures maybe drawn with minumum shifting of the device. v, 1

It is a still further object of the invention to vary the size and relative width and height of the letters and figures with minimum shifting of the instrument; and by further minimum shifting to vary the style of lettering.

The invention will be readily understood from the following description of the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1. is a plan view of the instrument.

Fig. 2' is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Figs. 3 to 11 are views showing the method of using the instrument.

The instrument is a flat member of suitable material such as wood, metal or celluloid, adaptedto be (placed upon a drafting surface and shifte to any desired position thereon, and having true edges forming guides for a marking implement.

, Y The device is preferably an integral structure and comprises upright parallel strips 1 and 2 connected by top, medial and bottom transverse parallel strips 3, 4c, and 5. The top and bottom strips 3 and 5 meet the strip 2 at the ends thereof, and the ends of strip 1 extend beyond said top and bottom strips. The lower extension of strip 1 forms a longitudinal prolongation of the same as shown at'6, and the upper extension of the strip terminates in a semi-circular strip 7 having its center midway between the outer sides of strips 1 and-2.

' Strips 1 to 7 inclusive are of the same width, the straight strips 1 to 6 having parallel sides and ends with the ends perpendicular to the sides, and the curved strip 7 having concentric sides with its free end 8 parallel to the strips 3, 4 and 5.

Strips 1 and 2 are transversely spaced a distance equal to the width of the various strips, and transverse strips 3, 4 and 5 are similarly spaced from one another a distance equal to the width of thestrips. The strip 6 is preferably of a length equal to that of strips 1 or 2; and the ends of curved strip 7 are spaced from strip 3 a distance equal to one-half ofthe width of the strips.

The edges of thestraight strips 1 to 6 are graduated as shown at 9, preferably upon both faces of the instrument, the graduations comprising units and fractions thereof which correspond to and are in alinement with the widths of the various strips; and the edges of curved strip 7 are also graduated as shown at'lO, in units of forty-five degrees and fractions thereof.

The'outer side of strip 2 is preferably notched midway of its length as shown at 11, the sides of the notches being at fortyfive degrees to thesides of strips 1 to 6, and thereby forming a right angle with its apex midway of the width of both strips 2 and 4.

The outlining of letters and figures of block design, and of a size for which the instrument is particularly adapted, is illustrated in Figs. 3 and 5, the instrument being laid upon the drafting surface at the points where the letters or figures are to be formed.

As illustrated in Fig. 3, by using the edges of strips 1 to 5 as marking guides, the draftsman may outline those portions of all letters and figures which consist of upright strokes at the respective sides and trans Verse strokes at the top, bottom, and midway of the height of the letters and figures. Marks are made along only those edges of strips 1 to 5 which will form an outline of the particular letter or figure to be made, and marks are made along only fractional parts of the respective straight edges as denoted by graduations 9, when necessary to obtain the individual characteristics of the diiferent letters and figures. The sides of notch 11 may be used as a guide for marking details of the design of the respective letters and figures, the boundaries of such details as cut-01f corners, etc, being determined by the graduations 9.

Fig. 4 illustrates the method of laying-out the diagonal strokes of different letters and figures. Any upright or transverse strokes are outlined as previously described, and the boundaries of the diagonal strokes are de termiued by graduations 9. The instrument is then shifted so that a straight edge of strip 6 connects the predetermined boundaries of the diagonal strokes, and the marking implement is drawn along the parallel sides of strip 6 for outlining the desired letter or figure.

Fig. 5 shows the method of outlining the letters M and W, which involve a further shifting of the instrument since they are of an increased width. The boundaries of a normal letter being determined as previously described, and the lefthand portion of the desired letter having been outlined, the instrument is shifted until the outer side of strip 1 coincides with the marking denoting the inner side or" the left-hand upright of a normal letter, and the strip 2 is then employed as a guide for outlining the increased width of either M or TV.

By combining the methods as thus described, any letter or figure may be outlined; and in order to increase the height of the characters a further shifting of the instru ment is made in accordance with the method i lustrated in Figs. 6 to 8.

Referring to Fig. 6, the transverse and upright strokes of the upper portion of a let ter or figure are outlined as previously described; and the instrument is then shifted downwardly to any desired distance as denoted by gradnations 9, so that the lower portion of the letter or figure may be similarly outlined, the medial transverse strokes of the letter or figure being properly positioned by reference to the graduations 9.

Fig. 7 is a further exemplification of this method, showing the same with particular reference to diagonal strokes; and also indicating the method of shifting the instrument for out ining projecting portions of a letter or figure, such as the end of the transverse medial stroke of the figure l.

The method of forming letters and figures of increased height is shown further in Fig. 8; which also illustrates the method of laying out the boundaries of detail characteristics of the respective letters and figures.

The instrument is a so adapted for laying-out figures and letters of increased width, as illustrated in Fig. 9. The lefthand side of the character is outlined as previously described, and the instrument is then shifted to the right to a distance measured by the graduations 9, and the right-hand side of the letter or figure is then similarly outlined.

In order to change from a block design as thus far described, to a style of lettering en'iploying curved lines, the curved strip 7 is used.

Referring to Figs. 10 and 11, the boundaries of the characters are established by strips 1 to 5 as previously described, and the straight lines of the figure or letter are outlined. The instrument is then shifted so that strip T will form the curved outline of the character, the ends of the curved strip and the graduations thereof being alined with proper points of the previously outlined boundaries of the letter or figure to establish a symmetrical relation.

' It will thus be seen that the lettering instrument. as thus described is adapted for quickly and accurately laying-out letters, figures, and similar characters of various size and proportion, and covering a wide range or styles, it being only necessary to select the proper marking guides formed by the instrument, and to shift the same for alinement with boundaries established by the edges of said guides and the graduations provided thereon.

It will be apparent that various changes may be made in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts without departing from the spiritot the invention as set forth in the following claims, in which the terms letters and lettering are to be construed in view of the specification and drawings as relating to letters, figures or like characters.

I claim 1. A lettering guide comprising transversely spaced upright parallel strips forming guides denoting the height, width, and transverse spacing of the upright strokes of dilierent letters, transverse parallel strips connecting the ugright strips and forming guides denoting. the length, width, and relative position of top, bottom, and medial transverse strokes of dilierent letters, a curved strip projecting beyond the end of one of said upright strips and forming a guide denoting the boundaries of curved strokes of diii'erent letters, and a straight strip projecting beyond the opposite end of said upright strip and forming a guide denoting the boundaries of straight strokes of diti'erent letters, there being graduations along the edges of the respective strips.

2. A lettering guide including a body which comprises a plurality of straight edges so related as to form guides for both transverse and upright strokes of dill'erent letters, and a curved portion forming a guide for curved lines of the different letters and projecting from the body and terminating in spaced relation therefrom.

3. A. lettering guide including a body which comprises a plurality of straight edges so related as to form guides for both transverse and upright strokes of different letters, and a curved portion forming a guide for curved lines of the different letters and projecting from the body and terminating in spaced relation therefrom, the end of said curved portion of the guide forming a straight edge Which is a radius of the curve.

4. A lettering guide comprising upright parallel strips forming guides for the upright strokes of diiierent letters, transverse parallel strips connecting the upright strips and forming guides for the transverse strokes of different letters, and a curved strip projecting beyond the end of one of said upright strips and forming a guide for curved strokes of different letters.

5. A lettering guide comprising upright parallel strips forming guides for the upright strokes of different letters, and transverse strips connecting the upright strips and forming guides for the top, bottom, and medial transverse strokes of different letters, the outer edge of one of said upright strips being notched in alinement With the transverse strip Which forms a guide for the medial transverse strokes.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature to this specification.

FOSTER WV. POLLOCK. 

